The Making and the Unmaking of Free Speech in Howard Zinn’s Declarations of Independence : Cross Examining American Ideology (1990), and David K. Shipler’s Freedom of Speech, Mightier than the Sword (2015)
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Date
2022
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri
Abstract
Based on David K. Shipler’s Freedom of Speech Mightier than the Sword (2016) and Howard Zinn’s Declarations of Independence: Cross-Examining American Ideology (1990). David K. Shipler provides a timely and comprehensive analysis of the state of free speech in America, while Howard Zinn offers a critical perspective on the evolution of American democracy, highlighting the struggles for freedom of speech and other fundamental rights. This dissertation studies some central themes including the understanding of freedom of speech in America and the space hate speech has occupied since 1914. It is concerned with the study of the ‘marketplace of ideas,’ which is considered one of the pillars of freedom of speech in America and how hate speech has affected and infected this ‘marketplace.’ Our main interest is to examine the theory of the ‘marketplace of ideas’ under its main founders and originators who influenced heavily Americans’ exercise of their basic right, on the one hand, and the U.S Supreme Court’s interpretations, on the other. For that end, we rely on John Stuart Mill’s ideas on freedom of speech and free thought elaborated in his On Liberty. In this essay, he defends the right to hear and creates the environment for a marketplace in which all ideas are welcomed to compete in search for the truth. In addition, we refer to the ideas explored by Alexander Meiklejohn on the First Amendment and the link he draws between freedom of speech and democracy. In his Freedom of Speech and its Relation to Self-governance (1948), Meiklejohn explains how freedom of speech is a necessity to assure self-governance. Therefore, this dissertation deals with the heated debate on freedom of speech and its tested limits. We conclude that because of the First Amendment, the Supreme Court has no choice but to rule in favor of most cases involving hate speech. The two well-known authors who authored crucial works to uphold the freedom to free speech are David Shipler and Howard Zinn. They make the case for the significance of preserving this essential human right and maintain democratic principles.
Description
71 p. ; 30 cm. (+ CD-Rom)
Keywords
Making, Unmaking, Free Speech, Howard Zinn’s, David K. Shipler’s
Citation
Literature and Civilization